Page 107 of Sardonic Burn

“Why? I’ll be with you. I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”

I raise a brow. “What about you?”

“I don’t count.” He gives me a cheesy smile, and I can’t help but laugh. Now that I’m calmer, Ifinish putting on the black veil, taking back my hands from Hudson’s. It feels empty, to say the least. The warmth from his body immediately disappears, leaving me disappointed.

“Now, it’s time for the fun part.” I grin, and he groans.

I bring him the collar and the muzzle, and he snatches them from my hands, slowly putting them on himself. He looks too fucking cute, like a little puppy. I don’t tell him that though. I don’t want to start a mini-war right before an important mission like this one.

My guns—the few that I own—are all polished and ready to be used. I hide them in my suit jacket and put one in my boot. I manage to sneak a few blades, too. I’m much more comfortable using my daggers, and I pray that they don't search thoroughly because if I’m left without a weapon, I’m nearly useless.

Hudson follows suit, managing to put as many weapons as possible on himself without risking them being discovered. He’s being used as a toy for the night, so having a weapon would potentially destroy the cover Lucas spent hours making.

“Noelle,” he says through the muzzle, and I try my best not to laugh. “Don’t drink or eat anything you’re offered. Keep close and if you so much as get a whiff that something’s wrong, we’re out of there. Do you understand me?”

“What am I? A child? This isn’t my first time, Hudson. I’m aware how I should act and behave.”

He sighs, rolls his eyes, and pulls me closer. “I think your record is speaking for you. You always go headfirst, and it will get you killed. Try to act… within reason.”

I snort. “Is everything else prepared?”

Hudson nods. “Lyla is with Niko right now. They’re on different teams for the night, but they’re managing everything else. They’ll be close and when you give the sign, they’ll shut the entire place down.”

“The goal is to save the girls,” I say. “If The Silencer escapes, so be it. I’ll get him another time.”

“I know, and I made sure everyone else knows. Henrick and Ray will probably be close by, too. Those two old men can’t go a day without butting their noses in where they don’t belong.”

A laugh bubbles through me. “Right. Well, it’s time to leave.”

I grab a pair of leather gloves and cover my face with the veil. I wrap the chain around my hand and wrist and start yanking Hudson. He scowls but doesn’t say anything. We’re both aware that tonight is going to be very different from what we originally thought.

Because no matter what I just told him, my goal is to kill The Silencer tonight.

Even if it costs me my life.

TWENTY-SEVEN

The sound of my leather boots creaking against the concrete floors fills my ears. My steps are slow, calculated, yet quick enough to show dominance. The chains are tightly draped around my wrist, making a permanent imprint on the leather gloves. I do not falter.

I don’t show that my anxiety nearly kills me. I don’t show that I’m terrified of the million ways that this could go wrong at any moment. I don’t show that I’m not Madam Giselle and that I don’t fit in.

Hudson doesn’t speak at all. The last words he uttered were when he kissed me in the backseat of the tinted car a whileago, telling me that he’s right there with me and that no one will suspect us.

I can’t show that I don’t believe his words, not even for a second.

Too many eyes are on us the moment we step into the building. They don’t hide their curiosity, albeit most of them have some sort of a face covering. Some have custom-made masks, whereas others were too lazy for that. I think I even managed to glance a superman mask.

Burning gazes threaten to make my flesh dissolve. No one dares to approach me, but they’re murmuring and whispering. As Noelle Campbell, I’m used to such a gaze. However, this time, they are not afraid of me. In fact, it’s almost as if I’m being mocked.

The building is interesting, to say the least. I can’t count the exact number of security cameras, nor the guards that are spread all through the room. It’s quite spacious, but that’s not what makes my skin crawl.

In the middle of the room is a podium.

A podium inside of a big cage.

It has a red carpet on it, though it’s still empty. There are forty seats across each side, which means that eighty people will come tonight to buy—to purchase innocent human beings. I’m not a fool; I know well what happens to victims of human trafficking. Some are never found, while others are found in pieces.

I swallow and lick my bottom lip.

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